Finding good sushi in Shinjuku is easy. Choosing the right restaurant is harder. Around Shinjuku Station you can spend less than ¥2,000 on a casual sushi lunch, visit a conveyor-belt restaurant, sit at a traditional counter or spend more than ¥10,000 on a full omakase experience. That makes Shinjuku particularly useful for travellers because you … Read more
Shinjuku is one of the best places to eat in Tokyo. The challenge isn’t finding restaurants. It’s choosing between the thousands of places packed around Shinjuku Station, Kabukicho, Shinjuku-sanchome and Nishi-Shinjuku. You can eat excellent ramen for around ¥1,000–¥2,000, try tonkatsu or udon for lunch, spend the evening grilling Japanese beef or book a much … Read more
Shibuya has thousands of places to eat. That’s both the good news and the problem. Around Shibuya Crossing alone, you’ll find everything from ¥1,000 ramen and fast sushi to wagyu yakiniku, shabu-shabu and expensive omakase. If it’s your first time in Tokyo, choosing where to eat can quickly become overwhelming. This guide covers the best … Read more
Osaka doesn’t stop eating when dinner service ends. Around Namba and Dotonbori, it’s surprisingly easy to find ramen, gyudon and other filling meals after midnight. Some restaurants continue into the early morning, while a smaller number operate 24 hours. That distinction matters. Plenty of famous Osaka food shops are excellent at 8pm but useless at … Read more
Ordering drinks in Japan is much easier than it can seem before your first visit. You don’t need to speak fluent Japanese or memorise complicated sentences. In most bars, restaurants and izakayas, a few simple phrases — combined with pointing at the menu when needed — are enough to order confidently. If you only learn … Read more
Finding a great bar in Kyoto is easy. Finding one that actually works for a group of friends takes a little more planning. Many of Kyoto’s most atmospheric bars are tiny. Some have only a handful of counter seats, while others are designed for couples or solo drinkers. Arriving with six or eight people at … Read more
You don’t need a big nightlife budget to have a good night in Osaka. Around Namba, Tenma and Shinsekai, there are still plenty of places where ¥3,000 can cover a couple of drinks and something to eat—particularly if you’re happy with standing bars, casual izakaya and neighbourhood drinking spots rather than cocktail lounges. The difficult … Read more
Drinking in Osaka doesn’t have to mean ¥1,500 cocktails or an expensive night around Dotonbori. Some of the city’s most enjoyable places to drink are tiny tachinomi standing bars, neighbourhood izakaya and casual counters where you can order a beer or highball, add a couple of small dishes and move on when you’re ready. The … Read more
Tokyo doesn’t shut down when the last trains leave. The city certainly becomes quieter after midnight, and plenty of bars close before 2am. But in the major nightlife districts, particularly Shinjuku, Shibuya and Roppongi, there are still places serving drinks well into the early morning. The important part is knowing where to go. After 2am … Read more
Osaka is one of Japan’s easiest cities for a casual night of drinking. You don’t need reservations, a dress code or a carefully planned list of cocktail bars. Around Namba, Tenma, Shinsekai and parts of Umeda, some of the most enjoyable nights happen standing at a counter with a beer or highball and a couple … Read more